The present invention relates generally to a system for protecting electronic components, and particularly to a system for protecting electronic components disposed on printed circuit boards.
Typically, electronic components are installed on printed circuit boards for use in a variety of electrical devices. Electronic components often are built with metal conductive leads to electrically couple the component to the printed circuit board. Typically, the electronic component is placed on a surface of the printed circuit board and the metal leads are soldered to thin layers of copper, called traces, on the printed circuit board. The traces form conductive paths that allow electricity to flow through the printed circuit board.
Soldering serves two purposes. First, soldering helps physically secure the electronic component to the printed circuit board, and second, soldering ensures a good electrical connection between the electronic component and the traces. As an alternative to soldering, electronic components, such as computer chips and memory modules, are inserted into sockets predisposed on the printed circuit board. When the electronic component is inserted into the socket, the leads of the component are electrically coupled by the socket to the traces in the printed circuit board. Typically, a printed circuit board also contains an electrical connector to electrically couple the printed circuit board to another electrical device.
The nature of the electrical components/printed circuit board connections makes the assembled printed circuit boards especially susceptible to damage from mishandling. Dropping a printed circuit board to the floor can effectively ruin the board and any components mounted to it. Damage can occur not only to the electronic components but also to the solder bonds between electronic components and the printed circuit board. Furthermore, computer chips and memory modules can be dislodged from their sockets. Such damaged or dislodged electronic components can be extremely difficult to spot visually. Thus, if a board is dropped during assembly the damage may go undetected until operation of the device is attempted.
Mishandling also can occur when replacing or upgrading electronic components. For example, memory modules are one of the more commonly upgraded features of a computer. Purchasing additional memory modules in order to increase a computer systems memory is fairly common. Furthermore, most computer manufacturers build an upgrade capability into their systems. For example, computer manufacturers routinely install extra sockets on the printed circuit boards so that additional memory elements can be added at a later date. Alternatively, extra slots are reserved in an electrical device so that additional printed circuit boards containing memory modules can be added. Typically, however, in order to upgrade a computer""s memory, or repair a damaged memory module an operator must access the interior of the computer, thus exposing the operator to a potential electric shock.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a system that could allow electronic components to be removed from an electrical device while protecting electrical components from mishandling and minimizing the potential for electric shock.
A protective assembly for an electronic component is featured. An electronic component is disposed on a printed circuit board. The protective assembly has a base and a first rigid member secured to the base. The printed circuit board also is secured to the base. The base and the first rigid member are configured to prevent both the electronic component and the printed circuit board from contacting a planar surface, such as a table top or the floor, when the assembly is disposed against the planar surface.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a system is featured for protecting an electrical component within an electronic device. The system includes a first printed circuit board and an electronic component coupled to the first printed circuit board. A first electrical connector is electrically coupled to the first printed circuit board. The first printed circuit board is secured to a protective assembly which is mechanically securable to an enclosure having a second electrical connector. The first electrical connector is electrically coupleable to the second electrical connector.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a microprocessor-based device having a removable protective assembly is featured. The device includes an enclosure having a motherboard and a microprocessor. The motherboard includes a first electrical connector, and the microprocessor is electrically coupled to the motherboard. The system also includes a protective assembly. The protective assembly has a daughterboard and an electronic component disposed on the daughterboard. The daughterboard is secured to the protective assembly and has a second electrical connector electrically coupled to the electronic component. The protective assembly is configured such that the electrical component does not contact a planar surface when the protective assembly is disposed on the planar surface in any orientation.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for assembling an electronic device is featured. The method includes locating an electronic component on a printed circuit board and placing the printed circuit board within a protective assembly. The protective assembly prevents inadvertent contact with or jarring of the electronic component.